Bani, officially the Municipality of Bani (; ;

Sambal Sambal is an Indonesian chili sauce or paste, typically made from a mixture of chillis with secondary ingredients such as shrimp paste (terasi), garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, palm sugar, and lime juice. ''Sambal'' is an Indonesia ...

: ''Babali nin Bani''; ), is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Pangasinan Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan (, ; ; ), is a coastal Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capital is Lingayen, Pangasinan, Lingayen while San Carlos, Pangasi ...

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 52,603 people.

Etymology

The town, dubbed as the "Golden West" in the 1960s and early 1970s, is named after the bani tree which could be found in its

poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...

History

Spanish colonial era

Spain ruled Bani from 1521 to 1899. The pueblo's Gobernadorcillos were appointed by the Spanish authorities and from 1901 to 1936, the Presidentes, by the Americans. From 1937 to present, the local chief executives were elected. Bani was founded on March 18, 1769. It used to be a part of

Zambales Zambales, officially the Province of Zambales (; ; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is Iba, Zambales, Iba, which is located in t ...

as a component of

Bolinao Bolinao, officially the Municipality of Bolinao ( Bolinao: ''Babali nin Bolinao;'' ; ; ), is a municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 83,979 people. Sea urchins are regula ...

. In 1769, Father Mains de Lamberto erected a "visita" in Bani with settlements around Don Cayo banks. Eventually, these settlements became a sitio, with local officials being headed by Don Francisco Baltazar as "Tiniente Absolute". Bani was repopulated by the Ilocano settlers from

Paoay Paoay, officially the Municipality of Paoay (; ), is a municipality in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 25,001 people. History In 1701, Paoay was established as a municipality by vi ...

Ilocos Norte Ilocos Norte (), officially the Province of Ilocos Norte (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. It is located in the northwest corner of Luzon island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to t ...

in 1830.

American invasion era

In May 1903, it was transferred to Pangasinan together with the towns of Agno, Alaminos, Anda, Bolinao, Burgos, Dasol, Infanta and Mabini. San Simon, the original Bani, was transferred from Namagbagan to Sitio Almacin in 1859. On 21 November 1903, the town of Bani, together with Alaminos, Bolinao, San Isidro de Potot, and Infanta, were annexed to Pangasinan. In 1918, ground for the road from Alaminos to Bani was broken.

Contemporary

During the time of Martial Law, the mayor of Bani was Marcelo Navarro, a member of the Liberal Party. After the People Power of 1986, the Officer-in-Charge who headed Bani was Edmundo Cacho The

Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Mariology, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Debated by medieval theologians, it was not def ...

, Patron Saint of San Simon, disappeared from the church altar and was discovered on top of the tall Bani tree in the vicinity of the present Church. She was brought to the Namagbagan Church, and returned to the present site. Bani's name came from the Bani tree where the image of the Patroness was found. Bani (''

Millettia pinnata ''Pongamia pinnata'' is a species of tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, native to eastern and tropical Asia, Australia, and the Pacific islands. It is the sole species in genus ''Pongamia''. It is often known by the synonym ''Millettia pinnata''. ...

'') is a smooth tree (height of 8 to 25 meters). In May 2009, Bani along with Anda and Bolinao, was severely damaged by Typhoon Emong. The typhoon damaged an office close to the Municipal Building, the Western Pangasinan Lyceum, and a lot of structures and houses.

Geography

The Municipality of Bani lies between Tambac Bay and the

South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...

, and Alaminos and

. It has a land area of 19,243.6075 hectares.Official website of Bani Pangasinan
/ref> Bani is situated from the provincial capital

Lingayen Lingayen, officially the Municipality of Lingayen (; ; ; ), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality and capital of the Philippine Province, province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 10 ...

, and from the country's capital city of

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

Barangays

Bani is politically subdivided into 27

barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...

s. Each barangay consists of

purok A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...

s and some have

sitios A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...

. *Ambabaay *Aporao *Arwas *Ballag *Banog Norte *Banog Sur *Calabeng *Centro Toma *Colayo *Dacap Norte *Dacap Sur *Garrita *Luac *Macabit *Masidem *Poblacion *Quinaoayanan *Ranao *Ranom Iloco *San Jose *San Miguel *San Simon *San Vicente *Tiep *Tipor *Tugui Grande *Tugui Norte

Climate

Demographics

Religion

Roman Catholic population of Bani is 28,686 or 66.98% while the Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayan) population is 7,859 or 18.35%. Other churches include Bani United Methodist Church and Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) Lokal ng Bani, inter alia. The 1762

of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish Church (Poblacion, Bani) is under Co Pastor, Fr. Raymond Oligane and Fr. Fernando Castillo. Feast day is December 8, with its Parish Priest, Fr. Roberto Casaclang, Vicariate of the Divine Savior, Vicar Forane, Father Eduardo E. Inacay. is part of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Alaminos The Diocese of Alaminos (') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. The diocese was erected on January 12, 1985, and comprises 14 municipalities in the western part of the province o ...

(

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

Economy

Government

Local government

Bani, belonging to the first congressional district of the province of

, is governed by a mayor designated as its local chief executive and by a municipal council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years.

Municipal seal

The Official Seal was adopted in Resolution No. 7 on 7 March 1991.

Elected officials

Municipal Officials of Bani,Pangasinan (2022–2025): * Congressman: Arthur F. Celeste * Mayor: Facundo O.Palafox * Vice-Mayor: Cothera Gwen P. Yamamoto * Councilors: ** Atty. Filipina Rivera ** Jovy Olores ** Ronaldo Catabay ** Alvin Camba ** Gringo Ampler ** Philip Estabillo ** Elmer Ocampo ** Noel Talania

Tourism

Attractions include: *1,000 step "Via Crucis" leading to the gigantic Redeemer's Cross perched on a plateau overlooking the South China Sea of Doña Segundina Enriquez Navarro, wife Mayor Marcelo C. Navarro. Annual Archdiocesan Penitential Pilgrimage every Holy Tuesday first held in 1975. *Rock formations along the shores. *Bird Watching at Bangrin Mangroves *Olanen Beach, Tobong Beach - Dacap Sur *Surip Beach in Sitio Olanen, Barangay Dacap Sur -

scuba diving Scuba diving is a Diving mode, mode of underwater diving whereby divers use Scuba set, breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface breathing gas supply, and therefore has a limited but variable endurance. The word ''scub ...

, snorkeling and recreational fishing of tropical fishes and lobsters *Surip Beach Mountain Resort, Hide Away Sea and Beach Resort, Cacho Beach Resor *Oldwoods by the Sea Eco Resort - Olanen *Surip Cave, Nalsoc Cave, Abot Aso Cave, Nangadiyan Cave, and the Dumaloy Cave. *Nalsoc Cave is a subterranean river with natural archway of stalactites and stalagmites, Barangay Colayo: Cave Formations (

Speleothems A speleothem (; ) is a geological formation made by mineral deposits that accumulate over time in natural caves. Speleothems most commonly form in calcareous caves due to carbonate dissolution reactions. They can take a variety of forms, depend ...

), Dripstone,

Straw Straw is an agricultural byproduct consisting of the dry wikt:stalk, stalks of cereal plants after the grain and chaff have been removed. It makes up about half of the crop yield, yield by weight of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, ry ...

Stalactites A stalactite (, ; , ) is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble and that can be deposited as a colloid, or is in suspension, or is ca ...

Stalagmites A stalagmite (, ; ; ) is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typically composed of calcium carbonate, but may consist o ...

, Columns or Pillars and

Shawls A shawl (from ''shāl'') is a simple item of clothing, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular piece of cloth, but can also be square or triangular in shape. Other sha ...

. *Cacho Beach Resort Bani Pangasinan *Baliwangga falls, Barangay Ranao, near Ranao Elementary School. *Bani Public Auditorium and Children's Playground *The Manuel Oboza Lara-Edralin Auditorium, Poblacion *Bani is noted for producing the sweet and juicy watermelon.

Education

The Bani Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public elementary and high schools.

Primary and elementary schools

* Abunciang Elementary School * Ambabaay Elementary School * Aporao Elementary School * Arwas Elementary School * Ballag Elementary School * Bani West Central School * Banog Norte Elementary School * Banog Sur Elementary School * Bogtong Elementary School * Calabeng Elementary School * Centro Toma Elementary School * Colayo Elementary School * Dacap Norte Elementary School * Dacap Sur Elementary School * Full of Grace School * Garrita Elementary School * Immaculate Concepcion Learning Center * Luac Elementary School * Macabit Elementary School * Masidem Elementary School * Quinaoayanan Elementary School * Ranao Elementary School * Ranom Iloco Elementary School * San Jose Elementary School * San Miguel Elementary School * San Simon Elementary School * San Vicente Elementary School * Tiep Elementary School * Tipor Elementary School * Tugui Grande Elementary School *

Secondary schools

* Bani National High School * Banog Sur National High School * Bani East Integrated School * Dacap Norte National High School * Garrita National High School * Quinaoayanan National High School * Ranao National High School * Ranom Iloco National High School * San Miguel National High School * Tiep National High School

Notable personalities

Jane Oineza Elizabeth Jane Urbano Oineza (born July 22, 1996), is a Filipino actress. She began her career at age five, debuting in the romantic drama '' Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan'' (2001). A pioneer member of the gag show '' Goin' Bulilit'', she has since ...

, actress, ex-

Goin' Bulilit ''Goin (; abbreviated as ''GB'') is a Philippine television sketch comedy show broadcast by ABS-CBN and Kapamilya Channel. Directed by Edgar S. Mortiz, Badjie S. Mortiz and Frasco S. Mortiz, it aired on ABS-CBN's Yes Weekend! line up from F ...

member, and ex-PBB housemate *

Oscar Orbos Oscar Muñoz Orbos (born January 28, 1951), popularly known as Ka Oca, is a Philippine TV personality and host of GMA Network's '' Debate with Mare at Pare.'' Orbos was a former cabinet secretary, provincial governor, and vice presidential can ...

, a TV host and former Pangasinan governor

References

External links

*
Bani Profile at PhilAtlas.comMunicipal Profile at the National Competitiveness Council of the PhilippinesBani at the Pangasinan Government WebsiteLocal Governance Performance Management System
*

Philippine Standard Geographic Code The Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC) is a systematic classification and coding for geographic areas in the Philippines. It classifies areas based on the country's four levels of administrative divisions: regions, provinces, municipalities ...

br>Philippine Census Information
{{Authority control Municipalities of Pangasinan